Organized Crime In The Roaring 1920's

The Roaring 20’s was a time of high consumer spending, art and literature movements, the Jazz Age, flappers, the Prohibition and organized crime. With World War One behind the United States, the Roaring 20’s era was a time of new ideas, development of society’s views of women, African American’s recovering and rising after the 14th Amendment through culture and the rise of race wars in the South.

World War One left the nation in quite a different state. Women gained footing in the work fields as a result of men going to war, the United States saw much technological growth which would help make America the leader of military and industrialization, women fought for their rights, inflation would occur and people felt safe to invest their money.

There were several reasons for organized crime. For one, jobs were scarce and becoming a part of organized crime was a dangerous but effective way of making money necessary to care for families. Also, once the Prohibition came about, people who drank despite the amendment and those who supplied the alcohol were both considered criminals. Three well-known figures of the organized crime community in the Roaring 20’s were Al Capone and Bonnie and Clyde. Al Capone, former thug, would join his friend Johnny Torrio in Chicago after the death of Capone’s father. Torrio ran a business based from both gambling and prostitution. But, once the 18th amendment was effective, Johnny Torrio would switch gears at the idea of a new revenue opportunity. Torrio would begin to turn his attention towards bootlegging, selling alcohol illegally during the Prohibition. Because of Al Capone’s previous history in thuggery, Torrio would offer a position on his bootlegging operation. Not too long after, Capone’s partner would return to Italy and leave Capone to run the business on his own. Before parting ways, their methods were quiet. With all the profit he was turning over and his luxurious lifestyle, Capone’s name would become more public. Al Capone became well known as a violent criminal and popularity got him would soon decline significantly. The other popular figures of the organized crime were Bonnie and Clyde. Bonnie would meet Clyde while Bonnie’s husband of the time was jailed for murder. Bonnie would visit Clyde daily, who was serving time for robbery. They became so close during the time that Clyde was in jail that Bonnie would help Clyde escape by smuggling a gun into the jail. In 1932, Clyde would be released and the two would continue on to steal an automobile and commit robberies together. In their time robbing together, the fame of their relationship rose. The couple was viewed differently